Memories of Manipal

My first memory of Manipal is the rain. It rained on the day counselling was held, and it continued to rain, day in and day out after I joined.

I won’t say I loved that weather, but I didn’t hate it either. It just made carrying an umbrella compulsory and it meant we spent more time in friends rooms, in the mess at tea times, chatting over cups of coffee.

For someone who had been sheltered all her life, Manipal was an eye-opener.It exposed me to different kinds of people and totally shattered my theory that you could be best friends with the people you sat next to. For someone who had always eaten at home,and who had her mom dole out hot phulkas, it was a lesson in appreciating home food. And for someone who had never managed money– well it gave me a good lesson in economics.

Manipal also gave me friends for life. These are people I know I can call at 12 in the night and tell them my sob-story and they will listen–even if they are cursing me inside.

More than anything, till I came to Manipal I had only a vague idea about who I was. And for more than anything, in those three years, I’m grateful to have learned about myself.